University of California President James B. Milliken delivered the following remarks on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities 40th Annual Conference in Chula Vista:
Good afternoon, everyone. I’m grateful for the opportunity to be with all of you today.
Thank you, Chancellor Muñoz, for that kind introduction, and for your service as the outgoing chair of the HACU board.
President Flores, wow. For more than three decades, your steady leadership has helped expand educational opportunity and strengthen Hispanic-Serving Institutions across the country. On behalf of all American college and university presidents, I offer our most heartfelt and profound gratitude for your many lasting contributions to higher education and our country.
This conference on HACU’s 40th anniversary offers a chance to celebrate this organization’s remarkable achievements and think together about the moment we’re in and the work ahead.
I’m proud of the seven UC campuses that are members of HACU and recognized as Hispanic-Serving Institutions. More than half of Californians under 24 are Latino, and how well we serve these students is one of the clearest measures of whether we’re meeting our responsibility to the state.
We continue to make meaningful progress in terms of expanding access, improving graduation rates, strengthening pathways for community college transfer students, and creating more opportunities for graduate and professional education. But we know there’s more to do, at UC and across American higher education.
Why is this agenda so important? We know talent is universal, but opportunity is not. Education, and higher education in particular, is the best way we know to connect talent with opportunity.
For 40 years, HACU and its member institutions have done exactly that by opening the doors of higher education to millions of Hispanic students. Many of these students are first-generation or immigrants.
Immigration has long been America's secret sauce, one of our greatest sources of talent and strength. Generations of immigrants have fueled our economy and enriched our society.
It wasn’t that long ago that there was a broad bipartisan agreement that a student’s immigration status should not be a barrier to getting an education, developing their talents, and contributing to their communities and to our country.
When I was president of the University of Nebraska—where Big Red describes the football team as well as the politics—the legislature passed a Dream Act granting in-state tuition to undocumented students. The popular governor promptly vetoed it. I worked with a coalition to override the veto.
I remember one conversation with a conservative farmer in the legislature. He was a thoughtful and principled man and deeply conflicted about his vote. Polling showed his constituents supported the veto. As we parted, he thanked me for making my case and said: “President Milliken, I believe you’re right. And I think if I had 10 minutes to explain the issue to each of my constituents the way we’ve discussed it, I could convince them. But I’ve got to vote tomorrow and there’s no chance to have those conversations.” He promised he would continue to reflect on it. I left believing more than ever that he was a good man, but with no idea what he would do. The next day he voted to override the veto. The override succeeded by a single vote and the Nebraska Dream Act became law. I think about that often, and it gives me hope for the future.
It also wasn’t that long ago that Rick Perry—yes, that Rick Perry—not only signed but continued to champion the first state Dream Act in the nation. In Texas. That gives me hope for the future.
And it wasn’t that long ago that on a stage in New York, in front of an audience of CUNY Dreamers and their families, that Bill Ackman—yes, that Bill Ackman—surprised me by pledging $15 million to support our undocumented students. That gives me hope for the future.
More recently, a reason for hope is that Congress has continued appropriating funding for Hispanic-Serving Institutions and other Minority-Serving Institutions.
States have also stepped forward to affirm the importance of these institutions. This past year, UC proudly supported California’s SB 1255, which created a state designation for Hispanic-Serving Institutions. These efforts give me hope for the future.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. often observed that “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” Even in challenging times, I remain hopeful that this country—imperfect, of course, as all human institutions are—will continue to demonstrate its capacity for improvement and its commitment to creating a more perfect union. Our nation has weathered difficult times, and this is certainly a very difficult time for universities and the people and communities we serve.
As we look ahead, American higher education also faces demographic shifts, disruptive technologies, and evolving workforce demands that will require us to adapt.
Our responsibility to develop talent and expand opportunity will endure. America's prosperity depends on how well we fulfill that responsibility, and Hispanic-Serving Institutions will be indispensable to our success.
The University of California is proud to partner with you in this important work.
Thank you.